Ball retriever



Jan. 17, 1961 J BQRAH 2,968,509

BALL RETRIEVER Filed 001;. 25, 1957 JOHN f. EOEAH.

INVEVTOR.

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BALL RETRIEVER John E. Borah, 1002 Prospect Drive, Mishawaka, Ind.

Filed Oct. 25, 1957, Ser. No. 692,375

6 Claims. (Cl. 294-19) This invention relates to improvements in ballretrievers, and more particularly to a device adapted to be used for retrieving golf balls or like objects without requiring the user thereof to stoop. This invention constitutes an improvement upon devices of the character illustrated in my Patent No. 2,750,222, dated June 12, 1956.

Devices of the character illustrated in my prior patent perform successfully their intended function of gripping a golf ball or like object When pressed thereagainst with slight pressure but are difi'icult to manufacture and are expensive to manufacture because of the fact that a high percentage of rejects result. Thus my prior construction is characterized by a thin inwardly projecting ball-grip ping lip at the mouth of a suction cup at a point which cannot be molded with sufilcient accuracy and uniformity repeatedly to avoid rejects. Thus the molding of such prior suction cups has been characterized by rejects amounting to at least twenty-five percent of the items molded or sometimes more, even though the greatest care has been exercised in the production of the molds to insure accuracy thereof. Rejects of this prior type of construction have resulted from inability to secure uniforrnity of the lip circumferentially and from tearingor injury to the lip incident to its removal from the mold.

Therefore it is the primary object of this invention to provide a device of this character which will function satisfactorily and which can be produced with high accuracy and with minimum loss due to defective molding or to destruction of the item in removal from the mold.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device of this character which is characterized by a suction cup having two concentric lips separated by a circumferential groove and so proportioned as to cooperatively grip the surface of a spherical object, such as a golf ball having a pebbled or irregular surface, in such a manner as to effectivelygrip the same and permit lifting thereof.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which requires only the application of a slight pressure thereof against the pebbled surface of a golf ball to effect a firm suction grip therewith, which is characterized by a construction accommodating retention of the normal circular shape of the gripping part thereof despite irregularities or non-circular shape of a mounting member to which it is applied, and which is tensioned at its gripping portion 'as a result of stretching of the opposite or mounting portion thereof to fit upon a mounting member.

Other objects will be apparent from the following specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a fragmentary side view of a golf club having my improved ball retriever mounted thereon;

Fig. 2 is a view of the ball retriever in side elevation.

Fig. 3 is an axial sectional view of the ball retriever taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an axial sectionalviewof the device illustrating the same mounted upon a golf club or other carrier and gripping a golf ball therein; and

Fig. 5 is an end view of the device as viewed from the bottom in Figs. 2 and 3.

Fig. 6 is a side view of a modified form of the invention with parts shown in section.

Referring to the drawing which illustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 10 designates a golf club of the character having a shaft 12, a head 14, and a handle 16. My improved device 10 is adapted to be mounted upon the end of the handle, as illustrated in Fig. l. I

My device comprises a member formed of rubber or synthetic rubber which is preferably elastic and freely flexible and is of substantially frusto conical or longitudinally tapered outer configuration. A concentric socket 20 is formed in the small diameter end of the body and preferably is of a depth greater than one-half the length of the body, and of a diameter less than the diameter of the handle 16, so that upon application of a the member 18 to the handle portion of a golf club, the

skirt portion 22 of the body surrounding the socket 20 is stretched radially. A comparatively thin web 24 extends transversely across the body and defines the inner end of the socket 20.

The opposite end portion of the body 18 is recessed and constitutes a central or inner recess 26 of substantially part-spherical configuration terminating in a con tinuous annular lip 28 defined in part by an annular groove 30 surrounding the same and preferably of substantially V-shape in cross-section, as best seen in Fig. 3. The groove defines a substantially cylindrical outer surface on the inner lip 28. The outer wall surface 32 of the V-shaped groove is preferably of part-spherical or tapered configuration and extends to the end of the body to define a continuous annular lip 34. The outer surface of the large diameter end of the body preferably has a slight bevel or conical surface part 36 converging with the surface 32 to define the lip 34 of substantially V- shape cross-sectional configuration.

'The open or large diameter end of the socket 32 or recess of the body is of a diameter substantially less than attention is directed to the fact that, in the construction shown in Fig. 3, the parts are so proportioned that the outer lip 34 will contact the ball 38 slightly before the inner inset lip 28 contacts the surface of the ball. Conversely, the proportions may be changed to effect contact of an inner lip 28 with the ball slightly in advance of contact of the outer lip 36 withthe ball.

The application of the ball retriever 18 to the handle 16 of a golf club or other support which is of a greater diameter than the diameter ofthe socket 20 of the re triever requires stretching of the skirt 22 and also involves stressing of the lips 28 and 34 in a manner tending to slightly reduce the diameter thereof and to stififen or strengthen the same to effect greater gripping power thereof. Thus, upon the application of only a slight pressure endwise upon the golf club or other carrier in applying the device to a ball, the lips 28 and 34 are distorted outwardly and effect a firm frictional grip with the surface of the ball, as illustrated in Fig. 4. The lips are of feathered or substantially tapered cross-sectional shape and a his s t ey will a y r h nd dtffilfill t9 follow the contour of the surface of the ball which they engage and in particular to follow the contour'ofthe'recesses and ridges of the pebbled surface of the ball. Hence only a slight pressure need be exerted upon the device in order to effect a firm grip thereof with'the ball, entailing both continuous friction gripping of the ballby a constrictive fit at two spaced circular bands thereof, as illustrated in Fig. 4, and also entailing the principle of a suction cup. The recesses-26 and 30 are'of such depth that small air pockets are provided in the device'between the ball 38 and the web 24 when'the grip action is initiated. Therefore, any action of the device tending to disgorge or release-the ball from thesocket is accompanied by an initial increase in the cubic size or'capacity of the air pockets which tends to produce a suction within the air pockets. Thus an effective grip upon the ball is provided despite the fact that the areas at which the device grips the ball, though annular, are of lesser diameter than the diameterof the ball. This factor permits the device 18 to be held at such low weight and small size as to avoid any substantial interference with the normal use of the golf club, that is, its use to strike and propel a ball.

In some instances the grip portions or handles 16 of golf clubs are not of true circular cross-section but are of oval orother non-circular cross-section. In order that the device may work satisfactorily when'mounted upon .golf clubs of this character, the 'body is provided with a circumferential outer groove 40 therein adjacent to the web 24 and to the innermost or central'sur'face of the socket or recess 26. The'presence of the groove 40 relieves'some of the stresses set up by irregular-stretching of'the skirt 22and'enables the'lips 28 and34 to retain substantially a circular shape even thoughthe skirt 22 has been distorted to a non-circular shape. 'Consequently, the lips 28fand 34 serve effectively their gripping function when the "device is mounted upon a club having a nonci'rcular handle just'as they serve'that function when the "device is mounted upon'a club having a circular handle.

The formation of the tapered surface 36 adjacent the edge of the outer lip 34 provides "a circumferential rib 42 around the device adjacent to but slightly spaced'from the edge of the lip 34 for protection of the lip 34 from lateral impact when'thedevice is mounted upon a golf club being carried within a golf'bag.

By reason of the double constrictive fit of the device upona ball as described-above, the outer lip 34 protects the inner lip 28 insuch a manner that even if an impact occurs against the'outer lip whichtends'to distort it and to release its contact with the ball, nevertheless that impact may not aflectthe' inner lip, *andthe inner lip may maintain its frictionalgrip with the ball. In this'connection the inner cup or lip 28'will preferably have asuction grip suflicient per se to hold or retrieve a golf ball. Thus, if the outer'lip 34 should be cut away, the lip 28would nevertheless function effectively to grip and pick up a golf ball.

It will be apparent-that the construction separates the inner lip '28 from the outer surface 32 of the outerlip34 sufficiently to ,provide ample room for expansion on stretching of the inner lip 28into firm-frictional gripping contact with the ,golf ball. This spacing of the lips, coupled with-thednsetting of the inner lip 28 relative to theplane of the edgeof the outer lip 34, is advantageous from the standpointof simplifying molding of the device, and in-particular insepara'ting the article= from the mold. 'At the same time, the insetposition-of the 'inner lip 28 protects-iteventhough contactof the outer-lip with for- 'eignmem'bers from time to time may result: in 'nick'in g or -.gou'gin'g "of that'outer lip. Thus, 'evenif such gouging ofthe o'uter lip occurs, theutility of the device is not lost.

Whilethe primary purpose of'the device is the retrievof -golf' ballsfit may serve'o'th'er' purposes and,par- *t'ieularly, it may be used to retrieve other spherical or part-spherical objects or objects having rounded surfaces.

It is not essential that the device take the form described. Thus both the socket for mounting the device upon a club handle or other support, and the circumferential exterior groove may be omitted. In other words, a device may be provided using only the feature of a resilient or elastic body having a concave end with an outer lip and a concentric inset annular lip, which lips cooperate to provide a dual gripping engagement of the device with a ball. One-alternate form which the'device may take is shown in Fig. 6 wherein the body 50 of elastic or rubberlike material has a'stem 52- projectingat one end thereof and adapted to be seated or enclosed in a recess 54in the end of a handle 56 or other carrier or support. The outer end of body 50 has the concentric deep cavity 58 therein, characterized by the concentric annular groove 60 defining the inset annular concentric ball-gripping lip 62 of substantially V-shape in cross-section. The end of the body has a second or outer V-shaped annularconcentric ball-gripping lip 64. This device possesses the same ad'- vantages described above and'efiects a grip upon the ball in the same manner described above.

While the preferred constructions of the device are illustrated and described herein, it will be understood that changes in the construction may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the s'pirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A retriever for a ball 'having an irregular surface, comprising a body formed of rubber-like material -and having a longitudinal axis and a circular, transverse cross-section, said body having an imperfor'ate recessed end portion whichis of a diameter less than the diameter of said ball, said recessed'end portion having 'a concentric circular groove therein to separate concentric inner and outer annular lip portions, said inner lip portion having a substantially 'cylindricalouter surface, the inner surface of said outer lip and the marginal portion of the inner surface of-said-inner lip both having a concave curvature on all radii thereof, both of said concave lip inner surfaces having radii less than the radius of said ball, the inner and outer surfaces-of said inner and outer lips converging at the edges of said respective lips, the annular edge of said inner lip being parallel and'concentric'to and insetrelative to the annular edge of'said outer lip whereby said inner and outer lips substantially simultaneously initially'engage saidball and frictionally grip said ball-and conform to the irregular surface thereof when pressed thereagainst,

said recess being of a depth 'toreceivea portion of said ball with clearance while "gripped therein, and means at the other end of'said body for mounting said body on a support.

2. A ball retriever as defined in claim 1, wherein said mounting means constitutes a cup-shaped end portion having a socket of 'a "diameter normally smaller than said support and fitting 'constrictively thereon.

3. A ballretriever as defined in claim 2, wherein said body has a transverse web between said mounting socket andsaid ball-gripping end port-ion and an external annular groove adjacent said web and spaced from the innermost end of said-endrgroove, and between the end groove and the -mounting4sooket.

4. A ball retriever as "defined in claim 1, "wherein sald mounting means constitutes a longitudinal reduced diarneter "stern adapted-to fit in a rec'ess in a support.

5. A retriever for a ball having a pebbled surface, comprising a body formed of resilient materialhaving 'a longitudinal axis and a transverse circular cross=secwidth, said'groove definirig an annular inner lip having a substantially cylindrical outer surface and an annular outer lip, each of said lips having a marginal portion whose inner surface is concavely curved on all radii thereof and converges with the outer surface thereof to provide lips of thin cross-section accommodating radial flexing thereof, said recessed end of said body being imperforate, the edges of said lips being parallel to each other, the edge of said inner lip lying in a plane parallel to and inset from the plane of the edge of said outer lip whereby the edges of said lip are adapted to substantially simultaneously engage said ball at the time of initial contact therewith and to stretch to frictionally grip said ball and conform to the pebbled surface thereof when pressed thereagainst, said recess being of a depth to receive a portion of said ball with clearance while said ball is gripped therein, and means at the other end of said body for mounting said body on a support.

6. A ball retriever as defined in claim 5, wherein the inner surfaces of said inner and outer lips are substantially part-spherical and have radii less than the radius of said ball.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 435,752 Ingersoll Sept. 2, 1890 1,298,139 Wolcott Mar. 25, 1919 1,429,429 Hipwood Sept. 19, 1922 1,830,520 Moyses Nov. 3, 1931 1,842,383 Bell Jan. 26, 1932 2,177,967 Watkins Oct. 31, 1939 2,637,587 Robinson May 5, 1953 ,750,222 Borah June 12, 1956 2,819,109 Borah Jan. 7, 1958 

